Ever Miranda Palacio is an English-Cuban film director, who trained in Havana and Paris, and aims to mix different genres in his film-making. He has worked for Cuban TV, and in advertising for four years in Angola.

His short film “Se acceptan proposiciones” (“We accept suggestions”) received the Prix Signis for new directors in Havana in 2007, and his latest film, “Angola Año Zero”, which is also his first full-length documentary won Best Film award at the International Film Festival in Luanda (2013), and was shown at the Cannes Film festival this year.

The ties between Cuba and Angola have been strong since the Cuban army’s involvement in the Angolan war of liberation, and the subsequent war against invaders from South Africa.

But shortly after this struggle ended the USSR collapsed, and instead of looking forward to continuing Soviet support during reconstruction, Angola turned to the IMF and entered a period of savage capitalism – under the same president who led the country during the wars. A civil war continued on-and-off until 2002.